1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and, in particular, to a data processing system and method including a server and client computer system coupled together utilizing a local area network. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a data processing system and method including a server and client computer system coupled together utilizing a local area network for permitting the server to remotely modify operation of the client computer system's network hardware.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computer systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computers (PCs) may be defined as a desktop, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that includes a system unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input/output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, one or more flexible diskette drives, a CD-ROM drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a "hard drive"), a pointing device such as a mouse, and an optional network interface adapter. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PC series, Aptiva series, and Thinkpad series.
With PCs being increasingly connected into networks to allow transfers of data among computers to occur, more operations such as maintenance, updating of applications, and data collections are occurring over the network. Computer networks are also becoming essential to their user. It is desirable minimize loss of productivity by increasing availability of network resources.
Currently, network diagnostics programs exist to collect statistics regarding network traffic on a client computer system. One example of such a technology is called Remote Monitoring (RMON). RMON executes within the client computer system only while the client is running. RMON is used to keep track of events and values of counters which may be utilized to analyze the network activity of a particular client computer system. The type of statistics typically collected may include the number of lost packets, retries, time-outs, response time, and throughput.
In known systems, the network performance of a client computer system may be determined by the client computer system during run-time. Therefore, the client must by fully operational during the determination. The determination is made by the software executing within the client which tracks network statistics. If a change to a network parameter within the client is necessary, a network administration must physically go to the particular client, and modify the desired parameter.
An example of a network parameter a network administration may desire to change is the latency on the PCI bus. The network administrator may effectively lower or raise the priority given a particular client's network interface by decreasing or increasing the latency interval on the client's PCI bus. A lower latency value may be acceptable for network intensive uses such as file, print, and proxy servers. However, for client computer systems, it may unbalance the system resulting in overall loss of performance.
Another network parameter a network administration may alter while physically at the client is the size of the buffer. Altering the buffer size will result in a change to the throughput characteristics of the client.
Therefore a need exists for a data processing system and method for a server computer system to remotely and dynamically modify operation of a client: computer system's network hardware.